Israel Falling Behind on Climate Targets, Warns OECD Report
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published a report on Wednesday saying that Israel was failing to meet its climate targets. The report was presented at a joint event hosted by the Israeli Environmental Protection Ministry and the OECD in Jerusalem, reviewing the nation’s environmental performance over the past decade.
Despite the Israeli government’s ambitious goal of an 85% greenhouse gas reduction by 2050, alongside a broad aim of carbon neutrality, the OECD report revealed shortcomings in the Jewish state’s environmental policies. An increase in waste generation and landfilling has occurred due to continued economic and population growth, in addition to a lack of robust waste management policies.
The report stressed the need for Israel to set additional targets across all sectors, increase investment in renewable energy and clean transport, and enhance its environmental regulatory framework. Furthermore, it emphasized the importance of boosting solar power installations and incorporating more renewable resources into the electric grid.
Renewables account for only 5.1% of Israel’s primary energy supply. This is the second smallest share of renewables in the energy mix of OECD countries. Only South Korea, at 2.1% is lower. Overall, OECD countries derive 11.6% of their energy from renewables. The top position in the OECD is taken by Iceland, where 88.9% of the energy comes from hydroelectricity and geothermal power. Paraguay is the world leader in this respect, with 99.1% of energy coming from renewables—mainly hydropower.
